A Lion & A Snake
by beargirl1393
Summary: What if, when Sirius ran away, he ended up in Spinner's End and discovered that his enemy, Severus Snape, isn't the Dark, Death Eater wannabe that he thought he was? What happens when Severus begins to see a new side of one of his tormentors?
1. A New First Impression

A/N: This is me getting back into writing Harry Potter fics. I was watching the fifth movie and something about the way Sirius looked talking about his mother disowning him when he ran away made me wonder what would happen if he got lost on the way to James' and found out that he's not the only one who has a horrible home life.

**Warning: **There is child abuse mentioned in this chapter, as well as neglect. Severus' parents are both horrible to him in this fic. Both Severus and Sirius will likely seem OOC at times, but Sirius is undergoing shifting perceptions which would lead to him treating Severus better than he ordinarily would.

* * *

Sirius stormed out of the house, not looking back as he mother continued to scream obscenities after him. He was done, completely and totally done. He could not spend another day in that house, with his harpy of a mother.

_I'll go to the Potters', _Sirius thought, checking the pockets of his muggle jeans to ensure that he had everything. He had packed most of his things in his trunk, with the help of an undetectable expansion charm, and then he shrunk it. It and his shrunken broomstick were all he needed. His wand was in his pocket, and he was on his way to where he left his bike. _I'll ride over. Now that I'm out of the house, the Ministry will know if I do any magic. James' dad can take me to Gringotts to file the papers to become emancipated, and I'll still be able to withdraw from my trust vault._

So occupied with his thoughts was Sirius that he didn't notice that, once he had started his bike and taken off, he was going the wrong way. He had never driven to the Potters' before, usually flooing or apparating with Mr. Potter. Everything looked different, and he had never bothered to ask for directions.

* * *

Two hours later, Sirius stopped the bike and looked around. There was no denying it; he was lost.

The dingy industrial town he was in looked nothing like James' hometown, nor did he see any of the landmarks he would recognize from around Potter Manor. Looking around, Sirius noticed a sign that read 'Spinner's End'.

_That must be where I am, _Sirius thought, looking around, _but how the bloody hell do I get from here to James' house?_

Before he could contemplate that further, loud voices from the ramshackle shack directly across the road from him caught his attention.

"_Yer a worthless waste o' space," _a man bellowed drunkenly, followed by the sound of someone crying out in pain. "_I told ya ta stop all that freaky magic nonsense, but did you listen? Well, did you boy?"_

Sirius had crept closer, curious and more than a little concerned, and he about jumped when a familiar voice, hoarse and broken, said, _"No sir."_

"_Tha's right, ye disgraceful brat," _the man spat, and Sirius was finally close enough to peer through a window. He had to look, as there was no way that the boy who screamed in such agony was Severus Snape.

Sirius' heart dropped as he took in the scene. Snape was on the floor of the shack, his shirt off and his back to Sirius. He could count each of the other boy's ribs, and couldn't even begin to attempt that feat with the scars littering his back. There were several bleeding wounds covering more scars. A man (a Muggle most likely considering how he was speaking of magic) was standing over Snape, a beer bottle in one hand, a belt in the other. As Sirius watched, the man lashed out with the belt again, striking Snape in the center of his back, directly across three open, bleeding wounds. Sirius could see the tension in the other boy's frame, knowing he was likely biting his lip until it bled to stop from crying out again. Sirius watched, horrified, as the Muggle man (who was apparently Snape's father) beat his son to the point of collapse, all the while making snide comments.

_And it's all because he's a wizard,_ Sirius thought, feeling sick. _The bastard is beating him because Snape's a wizard. And this isn't the first time either. _For the first time, Sirius began to wonder if his taunting of Snape was as justified as he previously thought.

Eventually, the muggle seemed to tire and wandered off, hollering over his shoulder that Snape should clean the floor and the belt or else he'd have a similar experience in the morning. Snape didn't move at first, causing Sirius to worry that the other boy had passed out, but then Snape began to move. Sirius winced, knowing that Snape had to be in agony, but the other boy seemed far too used to this. He watched as Snape picked up his ratty t-shirt (one Sirius remembered mocking at school and now caused him to wonder if Snape had any better) and used it to wipe the belt clean.

Sirius looked at the floor, at the puddles of congealing blood, and knew that it would take a lot of scrubbing to get the stains out. He didn't think that Snape was strong enough to do it right now, and was afraid of what would happen if the other boy didn't manage to clean it to the muggle's standards.

Straightening from his crouch by the window, Sirius moved towards the door. It wasn't locked, allowing him to slip in silently. He managed three steps before Snape turned to face him, black eyes widening when they saw the intruder.

"Black?" Snape's hoarse voice carried none of it's usually malice. It was hoarse and broken, with a thread of defeat and resignation running through it that Sirius had never heard before. "Have I finally died and went to Hell?"

"No!" Sirius hissed, startled. Did the other boy want to die? "You're alive, although I don't know how. Why did that muggle beat you like that?"

Snape shrugged, hissing in pain. "I went to Hogwarts. That was my punishment for going."

"You get punished for going to school?" Sirius asked, disbelieving._ Either Snape has gone round the bend or his dad did._

"My father despises magic," Snape explained, his eyes on his belt. He still believed that none of this was real, that this was some odd dream occurring after he passed out after his father's beating. "He didn't know my mother was a witch when he slept with her. She told him after, when they married."

"She didn't think to mention it before that?" Sirius asked.

"She only told him then because there was a chance I would be a wizard," Snape said, pushing a strand of his long dark hair out of his equally dark eyes. "She had hoped I wouldn't have magic. That was the second way I disappointed her."

"The second way?" Sirius asked, still slightly stunned. _His mother is a witch, married to a magic-hating muggle, and she hated that her son had magic?_

"I was conceived," Snape said, his tone so matter of fact that Sirius had to conceal a wince. "I was a mistake; they didn't want children."

"Where's your mum now?" Sirius asked, changing the topic. No one should be able to speak so matter of factly about their parents not wanting them.

"Working," Snape said. "Black, as interesting as talking to a hallucination is, I need to clean the floor. Dream or not, I don't need another beating so soon after this one. I need at least a few days to recover."

"Hallucination?" Sirius repeated dumbly. Then the rest of the sentence sunk in. _Even if he cleans the floor, he's sure he'll get another beating again, sooner or later. _"Doesn't your mum say anything about this?"

"Why would she?" Snape asked, sounding confused. "I'm not worth risking a beating for. As you and your friends have pointed out many times before, I'm worthless, lower than pond scum. What does it matter if Snivellus has to endure his father's belt every other day? He deserves it for being born and being born a wizard."

Sirius gaped, lips parting in shock as Snape spoke. The entire time, his voice didn't waiver, nor did he seem sarcastic. He actually believed that he deserved this. "Snape, no one deserves this."

"I do, evidently," Snape replied, turning away, presumably to go to the kitchen to get cleaning supplies. "If I didn't deserve this, then I wouldn't be forced to endure it. I wouldn't be forced to endure you and your friends making my life hell at the one place I believed I would have been safe."

Sirius said nothing, watching the other boy stiffly collect his supplies and bring them back, setting to work almost immediately. Snape was clearly in pain, yet he didn't stop cleaning.

_Of course he won't stop, _Sirius thought angrily. _That muggle bastard would beat him again if he didn't clean this up. He's exhausted and beaten and school just ended. If this is how the first day of summer is going for him, he won't make it to September 1__st__._


	2. You're Not Such An Arse

Sirius watched Snape cleaning for five minutes before he couldn't take it anymore. He bent and took the rag out of the other boy's hand, holding up a hand to stop his protests.

"You're hurt," Sirius said, glancing from Snape's bleeding back to the floor. "Even I'm not cruel enough to make you work in this state."

"I am perfectly capable of cleaning the floor Black," Snape said, scowling. "I've done this countless times before."

Sirius shuddered at the mention, not even wanting to consider how many other times an occasion like the one he had just witnessed had occurred before shaking his head. "Look, do you have a first aid kit? I'm no healer, but you'll get sick if you don't take care of that back. Get something to clean it, and I'll help you after I do this."

Snape's eyes narrowed and Sirius fought to keep from rolling his own. Why was the other boy being so stubborn? He was _hurt_; didn't the stubborn fool realize that?

"What is in it for you Black?" Snape asked, looking suspiciously at Sirius. "Dream, hallucination, whatever this is, why should you want to help me? Why would you care about Snivellus Greasy?"

"You aren't hallucinating, and I'm not going to make fun of you," Sirius said. He knew that Snape had every right to be suspicious of him, but it was annoying. He just wanted to help, couldn't Snape see that?

"Then how and why are you here?" Snape demanded. "And why in Merlin's name are you being so nice to me?"

"I left my parents' house, I was on my way to James' but I got lost. I've never driven there before," Sirius explained, kneeling down to continue where Snape had left off cleaning. "I ended up across the street, heard your father shouting, and came to investigate. Why has no one called the Aurors on him?"

"This is a muggle neighborhood, there are no Aurors," Snape said, watching as Sirius finished mopping up his blood. "Muggles have police officers, and no one around here would bother calling them on my father. Everyone knows he's a drunken bum who will swing at anyone when he's in his cups. They wouldn't bother calling the police on him, no matter what they hear."

Sirius just shook his head before tossing the rag back into the bucket and standing up, offering Snape his hand. The other boy looked at it for a moment, before accepting it. His back hurt and he was too tired to examine Black's motives right now.

"Where are you staying?" Snape asked.

Sirius looked at him as he picked up the bucket. "I was going to James', like I said, but I don't know how to get there from here. Do you have an owl?"

"No," Snape said, shaking his head. "We are barely able to afford my school supplies each year, never mind anything extra."

"Oh," Sirius said, grateful that he had an excuse to turn away so Snape couldn't see the guilt on his face. _We taunted him about his clothes and he really couldn't afford better._

"Black, you are far too quiet," Snape said from behind him, causing Sirius to whirl around. Snape was standing in the doorway, watching him with an inscrutable expression.

"What?" Sirius asked dumbly.

"You are far too quiet," Snape repeated. "Any time that I have seen you, you are always chattering about something. You quiet is more worrying than you chattering annoyingly. And I don't need your pity." That last was said rather sharply.

"I…I'm just sorry Snape," Sirius said, looking away from Snape and focusing on the now empty bucket.

"For what?" Snape asked sharply, causing Sirius to look up at him. "I may not have started this ridiculous feud, but I haven't simply sat passively. I've given as good as I've gotten."

"Yeah, but…"

"You pity me because of all of this?" Snape asked, gesturing around him and wincing when his back protested. "Well, don't. Didn't you tell me that your mother disowned you?"

"She never beat me," Sirius protested, because although Walburga Black was a horrible woman, she had never laid a hand on either of her children.

"But she neglected you," Snape said perceptively. "And that's just as bad."

Sirius nodded, not up for discussing his mother with his former enemy. "Where's the first aid kit? You need to put potions on those cuts."

"We don't have one, magical or muggle," Snape said. He turned, indicating that Sirius should follow, and led the way to the bathroom. He rummaged in the cupboard for a moment before withdrawing a rag and a bottle from it. He doused the rag with the contents of the bottle and handed the rag to Sirius. "The peroxide will disinfect the cuts."

Sirius hadn't heard of peroxide before, but he shrugged and decided to trust the Slytherin in this instance. He was still turning over that fact in his head as he pressed the cloth to the largest of the cuts. He nearly jumped out of his skin when the other boy hissed in pain.

"What?" Sirius asked, dropping the rag.

"It stings," Snape said through gritted teeth. "It stings while it disinfects. It's fine, just get it over with."

Sirius picked the rag back up and cautiously began to clean out the cuts. Snape continued to let out hisses occasionally, and Sirius worried that he was doing more harm than good, but finally it was done.

"We still have to wrap the wounds," Sirius said, dropping the rag into the sink.

"Use that," Snape said, gesturing to the ratty shirt he had used to clean the belt. "There should be scissors or something in the cabinet."

Sirius blinked, then shrugged. _His clothes, _Sirius thought, picking up the shirt and grabbing the scissors from the cabinet. "Don't you have bandages somewhere?"

"Black, any money my parents make is taken by my father to be drunk or gambled away. The little left over goes to food and bills," Snape snapped. "If I need bandages, I sacrifice one of my oldest shirts and reuse the strips as much as I can. Where do you think the rags came from? The others are too worn to be of any use."

"Right," Sirius said, slightly stunned. His childhood hadn't been the best, but he had never worried about food, clothes, or medicine if he was sick.

"You still never answered my question," Snape said as Sirius wrapped the strips of shirt around his torso.

"What question?" Sirius asked, focusing on what he was doing. The extent of his medical knowledge came from what he remembered Madame Pomfrey doing to Remus when he ended up in the Hospital Wing after the full moon, so he needed to concentrate.

"Where are you staying?" Snape replied, repeating his earlier question. Really, he didn't know why he was bothering, but Black wasn't acting like as much of an arse as he did at Hogwarts, so he wouldn't complain.

"Um, I don't know," Sirius admitted sheepishly. "I thought I'd be at James' by now; I didn't plan on going the wrong way."

"I cannot believe I'm saying this, but you can stay here tonight," Snape said, causing Sirius to gape at him. "What?" the teen snapped. "You helped me, unbelievable as that is, and so I should return the favor."

"Alright," Sirius said slowly, "But, where will I stay?"

"My room?" Snape said. "Father is too drunk and Mother will be too tired to bother me, and there is really nowhere else you can go."

"Alright," Sirius said again, shrugging. "I shared a bed with James once, before his parents had set up the guest room. Not much different."

"Except you and Potter are friends," Snape said dryly.

"You're not as much of an arse as I thought you were," Sirius said, tying off the last bandage and stepping back.

"His praise indeed," Snape said, smirking, before leading Sirius to his room.

* * *

A/N: Thanks to everyone who read, reviewed, followed, or favorited this fic! :)

Also, I had a question about whether this would be slash or stay gen. I haven't decided that yet, so any opinions are welcome. There are only a few things that I know definitely I want to happen in this, and who they end up with isn't one of them, so suggestions are welcome. Also, no matter who they end up with, there will be little to no smut, as I do not write smut well.


	3. Talks & Chores

A/N: Sorry this chapter took so long. It's been very hot here, and I don't have AC, so most of my writing is done early in the morning or late at night. Also, there is a poll on my profile for this story. It's about whether or not this story should have slash. Please vote, review, or pm me with your thoughts, as I'm still undecided on that matter.

* * *

Sirius followed Snape to his room, noticing that the other boy made very little noise when he walked, and he seemed to listen intently as he passed the one closed door.

"He's likely passed out by now," Snape whispered, slipping into the room with an open door and closing the door after Sirius entered. Looking around, he saw Snape's school trunk sitting beside a beat up chest of drawers. The twin bed was covered in blue sheets, faded but clean. There was an old-looking desk sitting underneath the window.

He turned away from his inspection of the street outside the window when he heard Severus groan. He saw the other boy had removed his trousers and was rummaging in one of the drawers to find a nightshirt. Slipping it on, however, had proven painful.

"Do you need help?" Sirius asked awkwardly. Remus was sometimes in too much pain after the full moon to put his pajamas on and Sirius or James would help him, but he hadn't really expected to ever offer to help Snape with such a thing.

"No," Snape snapped quietly, and Sirius held up his hands. Clearly, the other boy still had his pride and was touchy about appearing weak. "I'm guessing you have a trunk, or a bag or something?"

Sirius nodded, patting his pocket.

"You will have to wait until my mother gets back before you can resize it, otherwise there will be an owl from the Ministry," Snape said, turning down the sheets. The unspoken _and I'll get beat if he sees anything wizard-like_ seemed very loud to Sirius. "You can borrow some of my things until then."

Sirius nodded, taking the nightshirt Snape offered and changing while the other boy slipped into the bed, lying on his side facing the window. He was out by the time Sirius joined him.

* * *

The next morning, Sirius woke up early, feeling Snape slip from the bed. Opening his eyes, he saw the other boy gathering up his bathroom things before quietly leaving the room. He returned fifteen minutes later, his wet hair and change of clothes indicating that he had showered.

"Why're you up so early?" Sirius asked. According to his watch, it was barely seven in the morning.

"I have to make breakfast before Mother leaves and get started on my chores," Snape said, pulling his long hair back from his face with a hair tie. "Stay up here. You can unshrink your trunk now that Mother is here. Try to make as little noise as possible."

Sirius nodded, saying nothing as Severus left the room. He got up and grabbed his wand, using it to unshrink his trunk and before going back to bed. Seven was far too early to be awake.

He woke up to Snape prodding him an hour later. "Wake up Black."

"Wha'?" Sirius slurred, blinking himself awake.

"Wake up," Snape repeated, poking him again. "My mother has left for work and Father is still passed out, meaning you can come down for breakfast before you find a way to get to Potter's."

Sirius followed Snape back to the kitchen and found two plates with small portions of scrambled eggs and a piece of bread each. They ate in silence, Sirius collecting the dishes before Snape could to wash them.

"How do you expect to find your way to Potter's?" Snape asked, watching him as he did the dishes.

"I don't know," Sirius said, frowning. "Would your dad notice if you were gone for a few hours?" He winced, but before he could take it back Snape answered him.

"He won't notice, as long as I've completed my chores for the day," Snape said, turning to look at a piece of paper taped to the fridge. "According to Mother, I have to sweep and scrub the kitchen, clean the bottles off the porch, and weed her herb garden. That will not take more than three hours."

"Three hours to do all of that?" Sirius asked, nonplussed. He knew it would take him much longer to do that, but apparently Snape was different.

"Yes," Snape said, nodding. "Now, why does it matter if Father knows where I am?"

"Because I'm driving to the Leaky Cauldron," Sirius said, finishing the dishes and sitting back down. "I have to go to Gringotts, to file my papers for my emancipation, and I want to send an owl to James to ask if I can still go to Potter Manor. You could come too, if you want." In truth, he worried that Snape's father would beat Snape again, and he didn't want that to happen.

"You want me to go with you?" Snape asked, disbelieving. "Did you recently hit your head Black?"

"No, why?" Sirius asked.

"You would have me believe that you want to spend more time in the company of the greasy git?" Snape snorted, pushing a strand of his long, black hair out of his eyes.

"I told you, you aren't as much of an arse as I thought you were," Sirius said. "I don't think you're half as bad as I thought. You aren't the Dark Death Eater I thought you were."

"Thank you very much Black," Snape drawled sarcastically, turning and getting out the cleaning supplies. "Make yourself scarce until I finish this, then I'll ensure you don't get lost on your way to the Leaky Cauldron."

"I could help," Sirius offered. "Mum had a garden out back, and she had me working in it since I was a kid."

"You can tell the difference between herbs and weeds?" Snape asked, and when Sirius nodded he sighed. "Ok Black. Take care of the garden while I clean in here and sweep off the porch."

Sirius nodded again, and headed out back. He would be on his way to Gringotts soon, and he would have fun browsing around the Alley while he waited for James to owl him back. Maybe he'd be able to get Snape to go into Zonko's. And maybe the other plan slowly growing in the back of his mind would come to fruition. He just needed James' approval, as well as Snape's.


	4. Arguments

"You are hopeless," Snape said as Sirius parked the bike outside the Leaky Cauldron. "How do you manage to find your way around Hogwarts without getting lost?"

"I have a map," Sirius said, shrugging and moving towards the door. "Coming Snape?"

"There is little point in me remaining here, and as I have no alternative means of transportation, I guess I have to go with you," Snape said, slightly sarcastically, and he walked ahead of Sirius, slipping through the door and into the Leaky Cauldron before Sirius could do more than blink. Shrugging, he followed after the other boy.

Snape had his wand out and was tapping the bricks to get into the Alley when Sirius caught up with him. Neither said anything as the wall reformed, becoming a gateway into wizard London. Snape raised one eyebrow after the bricks finished moving, silently asking where Sirius planned on going first.

"The public owlery," Sirius said, setting off, Snape keeping pace at his side. "I have enough to send a message to James, and he'll use his owl to send the reply. We can go to Gringotts while we wait."

"It's your party Black," Snape said, shrugging.

"You could call me Sirius, you know," Sirius said, looking sideways at the other boy. "Every time I hear my last name, I expect to see McGonagall coming after me."

Snape snorted, looking mildly amused. "Guilty conscience Black?" he asked sardonically before sighing. "Fine, I will endeavor to address you by your given name, as long as you attempt the same."

"Fine," Sirius said, "But do you need to talk like a bloody dictionary? A simple 'Yes, and you can call me Severus' would do."

"Not as impressive," Severus replied, opening the door of the public owlery and ducking inside, staying by the door while Sirius approached the counter and sent his letter. "Gringotts next?"

Sirius bit his lip, then shook his head. "Let's get ice cream at Fortescue's first. I need to tell you something."

Severus looked at him curiously but said nothing, silently following Sirius as the boy went to the ice cream parlor and ordered two cones, waiting until Sirius had returned to the table he had staked out to begin his interrogation.

"What is so important that you felt the need to sit and discuss it?" Severus asked, eyes narrowed.

Sirius hesitated briefly before sighing. "I asked James if you could come with me to his house."

If it wasn't so serious, Sirius thought that Severus' expression would have been funny. The other boy's eyes widened, and his lips slightly parted in his shock. His grip loosened slightly on his ice cream cone, and Sirius thought he might have dropped it if he hadn't pulled himself together.

"Are you mad Black?" Severus hissed. "Why on Earth would Potter want me anywhere near him?"

"He'll write back and ask me why I asked if you could come," Sirius said, attempting to explain his train of thought. "And I'll explain that your dad is a bastard and you aren't the wannabe Death Eater scum we thought you were, and you can file for emancipation too, and then you wouldn't have to go back there anymore."

"And it's that simple?" Severus asked, his black eyes flashing. "Consider what would happen if I go through with your mad plan, file for emancipation, and get thrown out on my arse by Potter because he doesn't want _Snivellus _anywhere near him. Where would I go then Black? Back to my parents' house? As you've no doubt seen, they're rather keen to be shot of me. The only reason they keep me around is to do housework and provide a punching bag when my father is in his cups."

Sirius winced. "James won't do that." _At least I hope he won't._ "And if he did…" Sirius trailed off, unsure of what they would do if James did react badly to Severus.

"No more mad plans?" Severus asked, one eyebrow rising sardonically.

Sirius flushed. "You try coming up with something better then," he snapped, annoyed. All he wanted to do was help; couldn't the stubborn Slytherin see that?

"Very well," Severus said, leaning back and crossing his arms across his chest, "We will go to Gringotts so you can file your paperwork and be shot of your insane mother, then when Potter owls you back simply tell him that you were having a laugh. We will go back to Spinner's End so you can collect your things and then you can apparate to Potter's house."

"And leave you to be beaten bloody, worked like a house elf, and half-starved?" Sirius asked incredulously. "Where is your self-preservation?"

"Apparently it is alive and well, as I am not foolish enough to put my reputation in the hands of one of the boys who have made my school life hell," Severus snapped, incensed. _Will the little fool just drop it already? There is nothing he can do. What does he care anyway? _"If I had a choice, you wouldn't know, but I don't have that choice, so all I can do is hope that for once in your life you'll keep your mouth shut and just _drop it!_" Severus had said all this quietly, yet the intensity behind the words made Sirius feel as if the other boy had shouted.

"I won't just 'drop it' Severus," Sirius said, leaning forward and placing his palms flat on the table. "Your dad is a bastard and it doesn't seem like your mum is much better, and I won't let you wallow there until you're finally old enough to use magic legally and end up in Azkaban for hexing a muggle."

"I am not that foolish Black," Severus said, scowling.

"Sirius," Sirius reminded him. "And anyway, have I made fun of you yet? I thought you were the prince of Slytherin, sly and cunning and just waiting until you could join Voldemort and be a Death Eater. Everything my parents wanted me to be, I saw reflected in you. But you aren't like that! If you were, I have no doubt that your father would be dead. Restrictions or no, I know you know at least three poisons you could use on him. But you haven't!"

"I have no interest in going to Azkaban," Severus said, "My father isn't worth it. And why the hell do you care anyway? You hated me for five years. Why do you care what happens to me now?"

"Because no one deserves to be treated like that," Sirius said, stubbornly determined to help the other boy. "And because you could have left me to freeze last night, but you let me stay, even though your parents wouldn't have been pleased. You could have kicked me out at sunup this morning, but you didn't. You fed me breakfast and showed me how to get to the Leaky Cauldron without losing my way half a dozen times along the way. You've been _nice _Severus, and I want to return the favor."

Severus opened his mouth to retort, likely another argument, but he didn't get the chance. James' owl landed on the table in front of Sirius, a letter clamped in it's beak.

* * *

What does James' letter say?

Also, this story will stay gen. The poll (now closed) and reviews indicated that most people would prefer that Sirius and Severus remain friends. I agree that there aren't man teen Severus and Sirius fics where they're friends.


	5. The Letter

Sirius stroked the feathers on the bird's head as he took the letter from it. The owl hooted, flying up to perch on Sirius' shoulder. He unrolled the parchment, Severus watching him.

**Pads,**

**Good for you! It's about time you got away from them. Dad and Mum said it's fine, by the way. They told you before you were welcome here anytime, and that includes now. After you get your papers filed, come over. You know how to apparate, right? If not, send a message back and Dad will come pick you up.**

**Ha, you are funny though. Why would you want **_**Snape,**_** of all people, to come to my house? Did you crash your bike and hit your head? You hate Snape, remember? On the train ride home you said that if he didn't have the Mark by the time we went back to school, you'd eat your hat. He's probably hanging out with his little Death Eater pals and talking about all the ways they're gonna torture muggles. And you want him to come here? Are you feeling alright?**

**See you soon,**

**Prongs**

Sirius' eyes flicked from Severus to the letter. "He didn't say you couldn't come," Sirius said, attempting a bright tone and failing. James hadn't said that Severus couldn't come, but he also hadn't invited him. He knew James couldn't know that he was starting to consider Severus a friend, although not as close as James or Remus or Peter.

"Oh really?" Severus asked dryly, "And what was the premise for the invitation? See how many ways you can hex the Greasy Git before his parents find out?"

"No," Sirius said, but he still didn't elaborate.

"He doesn't believe that you are serious?" Severus queried, and Sirius nodded, defeated. "Excellent."

Sirius' head snapped up. "Excellent?" he repeated, dumbfounded.

"Yes," Severus said, wiping his fingers on a napkin. "You can go to Gringotts, then we will return to Spinner's End. You will collect your belongings and then leave for Potter's. He will not ask, and you will not say, why you even joked about me accompanying you. The end."

"That's it?" Sirius asked, irrationally angry. "You'll go back there, knowing that your father will beat you, instead of trusting me and James?"

Severus' face was blank as he replied, "I have no reason to trust you Black, or have you forgotten?"

Sirius slumped back in his seat. This wasn't supposed to happen. He shouldn't have even thought about Snape until school started again, and then it would be about what pranks to play. Snape wasn't supposed to have an abusive dad and (possibly) mother. He wasn't supposed to get beaten bloody for going to Hogwarts.

He was supposed to be the consummate Slytherin, sly and sneaky and cunning, doing anything to protect his arse. He wasn't supposed to pick returning to his home instead of trusting Sirius and going to James'. But, Sirius also could see that the other boy was serious. Short of kidnapping him (and he'd never tried apparating, let alone taking someone with him) there wasn't much he could do.

"Severus…" Sirius started, trying to think of something, anything, to get Severus to agree to go with him.

The other boy ignored him, standing and tossing his napkin in the trash. "To Gringotts?" he asked, folding his arms across his chest.

Sirius sighed but nodded, tossing his garbage and following the Slytherin through the Alley. "To Gringotts."

The trip was relatively quick, the goblins taking care of everything more efficiently than a wizard could hope to. Within the hour, Sirius was no longer considered a minor in the eyes of the wizarding world, and his parents no longer controlled him.

The drive back to Spinner's End was made in silence, Sirius tense and Severus brooding. When they pulled up across the street from Severus' house, the Slytherin dismounted in silence, crossing the street and opening the door, peering inside. He turned back to the street, nodding his head before disappearing inside. Sirius took this to mean that the coast was clear and followed the Slytherin.

Severus was waiting for him by the stairs, turning and heading for his room without looking back once Sirius was inside. His plan was simple: Get Black out of his house before either of his parents noticed or before the other boy saw something else to add to his list of blackmail material.

Sirius followed, trying to think of a reason Severus would agree to his plan. The Slytherin had made up his mind, and Sirius doubted he'd have much luck trying to change it. He wasn't an idiot; he knew that he couldn't force Severus to leave. But it would be so much easier.

* * *

Thoughts?


End file.
